Instead of going out the front door like they would have, Isaac, Taylor, Phoebe and Zac slipped out the back. They ran over to
the gate and opened it up.
"Just run as fast as you can!" Isaac told them, taking off. Taylor and Phoebe eached grabbed Zac's hands and took off as well.
Luckily, the reporter and her crew were busy now talking to the right people. They didn't notice them. When they reached the
end of the street, they all stopped and took a deep breath. Isaac looked around.
"Well, it wasn't that strong of a tornado... but still. Look at this damage!" Taylor and Phoebe looked at the other homes. Zac
noticed some flashing lights in the distance. Perhaps the police were coming to tape off the out stretching streets as well. They
needed to.
"Isaac, I'm sure Maddy and Joey are ok. I mean, our street is the worse by far." Phoebe looked back at all the comotion going
on.
"Let's just hurry and get over to their house. It's cold out here!" Zac shivered a little, even with his jacket on.
Taylor rolled his eyes. "At least it's not raining!" He said to him. Zac looked the other way.
"Come on." Isaac led them across the street and onto Maddy and Joey's.

"Maddy! Where are you?" Joey shouted, still upstairs in her sister's room. Joey had seen the tornado, but not soon enough. All
she had time to do, was to crawl under her sister's bed and hide. She stuck her arms out and felt for the door frame. Grabbing
hold, she looked around the corner.
"Maddy? Mom?" She once again yelled. Joey felt her heart beat a little faster. Where were they? She could barely see the
stairs, but managed to get over to them carefully. She sat down and slid down the stairs on her butt. Joey always did that... and
it was actually a good idea at the time to. She didn't want to fall and hurt herself by walking and tripping.
"Ok, this is not funny! Where are you guys?" Joey still hadn't heard a sound from anyone. Maddy and her mother made the
mistake of "locking" themselves into a closet when they saw the tornado. It happened so fast, that they didn't think.
"We're in here Joey!!" Joey turned around and went in the direction of Maddy's voice. "Ouch!" She tripped on a kitchen chair.
"Oh my ankle!!" Joey bent down and rubbed her foot.
"Joey, honey, are you ok?" Her mother yelled through the door. She ignored the question, but made it over to the closet. She
turned the door knob to open the door. It was the kind of door that locked from the outside. Maddy and her mother flew out
of the closet.
"Air!!" Maddy raked her hair of her face and took a deep breath. Joey sat down on the floor to look at her ankle. Their mother
went over to the counter and found a flashlight. She flipped it on and went over to Joey.
"Here, let me look at your ankle" She sat down beside Joey.
"Ok, but be careful with it. It really hurts." Joey's eyes got blurry with tears. Maddy was about to join them on the floor, when
she heard some voices outside.
"I'll be right back mom." Maddy carefully made her way over to the front door. She looked out the window and saw some kids
coming up the sidewalk.

"Their house doesn't look very bad." Phoebe commented, looking at the damage. Isaac looked at their property. It was about
the same as their house.
"This is freaking me out... I keep thinking that another tornado will come blasting through here." Zac whispered. He zipped his
jacket up. They now stood in front of Joey and Maddy's house.
"Well... go knock on the door Ike." Taylor said. Isaac nodded and started up their yard. Before he could reach the front door,
it opened.
"Isaac!" Maddy exclaimed. She ran out and gave him a hug. "I'm so glad you all are ok!" She looked at Phoebe, Taylor and
Zac with a smile. They all smiled back.
"Maddy, is everything ok here?" Isaac asked her.
"Well, yeah. My mom and I are ok, but Joey tripped a few minutes ago; I think she sprained her ankle."
Zac looked up when she said that. He walked over to her.
"Is she ok?" He asked with great concern.
"I hope so. There's not much you can do for a sprained ankle, so I think she'll be alright." Maddy lightly touched Zac's shoulder
when she said that. Phoebe and Taylor still stood together just listening to the conversation. Taylor leaned over to whisper
something to Phoebe. "Look at how Ike is acting..." He snickered. Phoebe giggled a little.
"He's just happy that Maddy is ok. I would hope you would act the same if I were Maddy..." She looked at Taylor with a slight
smile playing across her face. Taylor grinned and stared deep into her eyes.
"Of course I would act just the same! I care about you. Phoebe, I ..." He suddenly stopped his words and shoved his hands
into his pockets. She wasn't stupid. Phoebe knew what he was going to say.
"You what, Taylor?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but was interupted by Isaac walking over. Phoebe felt a piece of her sink when Taylor couldn't
express his feelings. Isaac saw the look on their faces and knew that something was up between them.
"Did I interupt something?"
Taylor and Phoebe shook their heads.
"No, Ike. We were just talking. Are we going home or something?"
"Well... Maddy wants me to stay for a while longer and Zac went inside to see Joey. If you two want to walk home, then that's
fine with me. I'll watch over Zac so you don't have to worry."
Phoebe took Taylor's hand. "See you later Ike." She smiled a little and turned to walk down the sidewalk with Taylor.
He raised his arm and waved at Isaac.

When they were halfway home, Phoebe stopped walking.
"Taylor, what's wrong with you? You haven't said one thing the whole time we've walked."
He rubbed his forehead and looked into her eyes.
"Nothing's wrong Phoebe. I'm just a little confused right now."
"Confused about what?"
Taylor sat down on the curb. She sat down beside him.
"I have to leave in two weeks to start the tour. I have to leave you..." His words trailed off as he looked at the gray asphalt.
Now Phoebe was the one who was confused.
"Tay, you haven't said one thing about the tour to me yet. Why do you bring it up now?" He shrugged. "I have to sooner or
later. I don't know... my emotions are just screwed up. This tornado really upset me whether I showed it or not. It just got me
thinking... I don't want our relationship to be like this. One minute, it just blows into town, the next... it's gone. Over with. I
don't want us to be like that."
She felt a little scared at that moment.
"What are you saying to me? You want to break up or something?" Phoebe's voice got a little shaky.
Taylor looked shocked.
"No! That's not what I'm saying. Oh god Phoebe, please don't think that! I am just afraid that when I leave, things will change.
You'll get bored with me being gone all the time and you'll find a new boyfriend. I can't help but be scared... I've never felt this
way before."
He took her hands in his. Phoebe took a deep breath. She felt very relieved.
"Taylor, I would never get bored with you! You were there for me when I was hurt, you were my friend when I didn't have
anyone. You are my first real boyfriend."
Taylor lifted his head when she said that.
She continued to talk. "All I know, is that I came to Tulsa, knowing no one... I had a really negative attitude about this place. It
wasn't until I met you, that I felt better about this whole moving ordeal. Your family, your siblings, your music... it means the
world to me. I would never give it up just because you weren't around. I agreed to be your girlfriend knowing very well that
you would be gone sometimes. It never once crossed my mind. You don't have to worry Taylor." She ran her fingers through
his golden hair. He looked at Phoebe, feeling as if he really knew her now. She just poured her feelings out to him, trusting him
with every word that she spoke.
"Phoebe, that's the best thing anyone could have said to me. I... I..." He reached over and took her into his arms.
"I love you."
She couldn't believe her own ears. Taylor's soft voice speaking the three very words every girl dreams of hearing.
She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too." A tear of happiness slid down her cheek.
Taylor gazed into her eyes and gently wiped it away, leaving a glittery streak across her cheek.
Phoebe laughed a little. "Wait until Judy hears about this."
Taylor laughed and kissed her on the cheek. "She'll be one surprised best friend that's for sure!" He stood up and took her
hand in his.
"Or, one mad best friend. I usually tell her everything."
Taylor thought about that for a moment. "True... but hey, you wanted to surprise her."
"She will be surprised..." Phoebe smiled and continued to walk with Taylor down the sidewalk hand in hand.

NEXT CHAPTER